Damage to the Meniscus

Read our quick guide about damage to the meniscus and the possible causes behind it, symptoms and treatment.

A damage to the meniscus may be sustained on both the inside and the outside of the knee. In younger people, the injury is often sustained during sports activities, and violent twisting is the most common cause of this. In middle-aged and elderly people, damage to the meniscus may be sustained with relatively little force, such as when standing up from crouching.

POSSIBLE CAUSES

Violent twisting
Hyperextension
Deep knee-bending (elderly people)

SYMPTOMS

Pain on twisting, hyperextension and deep knee-bending
Locking sensation, getting stuck
Pain on pressure
Impaired mobility in the knee
Pain on pressure over the joint space and possibly swelling
Reduced strength in the front thigh muscle

TREATMENT

Operation in which the damaged part of the meniscus is removed or sewn together
Rehabilitation programme gradually increasing in intensity
No return to sport until satisfactory mobility, strength, balance and coordination have been achieved
Use a brace to complement rehabilitation.

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